Foam Roller Exercises for Kids

By Nikki Chavanelle

It's hard to get kids to properly stretch before practice and foam rolling isn't exactly "fun," but if you add it into your little athlete's warm-up regimen now then they'll be a lot less likely to injure themselves long-term.

To perform these exercises, you need one of a few rudimentary items: A foam roller, a tennis ball or a stick. Encourage your child or player to spend five to 10 minutes on areas that are sore and tight, three to four times a week.

Calf

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Sit on the floor with legs stretched in front of you. Place the foam roller perpendicular to your right calf and cross your left leg over your right ankle. Use your hands to raise your body off the ground. Roll your entire lower leg from the ankle to the back of your knee. Switch legs and repeat.

30 seconds to 2 minutes each side.

Find:

Piriformis

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Grab a seat on the floor and place a lacrosse or tennis ball under your gluteus region. Cross your right leg over your left quad. Use your hands for support by placing them on the floor. Practice small movements to roll out the posterior hip, and look for those tender spots. Switch legs and repeat.

30 seconds to 2 minutes each side.

Find:

IT-Band

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Lie on your right side and place a foam roller perpendicular under your hip. Using your hands or forearms for support, cross your left leg over your right leg and put your left foot flat on the floor. Roll from your hip down to just above your knee. Switch legs and repeat.

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Thoracic Spine

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While lying on the floor face up, place a tennis ball on the right side of your spine. Put your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Raise your hips off the floor and roll back and forth around your shoulder blades and mid-back, looking for those tender areas.

30 seconds to 2 minutes each side.

Find:

Chest

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Time in the saddle and sitting at your desk can cause your pectorals to tighten up. An effective remedy is to hold a tennis ball to your chest using both your hands. Apply pressure to your chest area and rub the ball back and forth, working on your tender areas.

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Soleus

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Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Put the foam roller perpendicular to your right calf and cross your left leg over your right ankle. Use your hands to raise your body up. Roll the lower portion of your calves to the back of your ankle. Switch legs and repeat.

30 seconds to 2 minutes each side.

Find:

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About the Author

Nikki Chavanelle is one of ACTIVE's Fitness and Nutrition editors. As a former intramural rock star at SMU and current sports junkie, Nikki claims she peaked in college. Follow Nikki on Twitter for fitness and sports chatter.

Nikki Chavanelle is one of ACTIVE's Fitness and Nutrition editors. As a former intramural rock star at SMU and current sports junkie, Nikki claims she peaked in college. Follow Nikki on Twitter for fitness and sports chatter.

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